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Why Calls from Illinois DOC Facilities Go to Voicemail (And How to Fix It)

When your loved one calls from an Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) facility and it goes straight to voicemail, they're not hanging up—your phone is treating the call like spam. A few quick settings changes usually fix it.

• 2 min read • idoc.illinois.gov
Why Calls from Illinois DOC Facilities Go to Voicemail (And How to Fix It)

Calls through the ICSolutions phone system display a facility-specific number on Caller ID. That unfamiliar, "institutional" number? Your carrier or spam-blocking apps often flag it automatically. The result: missed calls with no ring, or voicemails you never heard coming.

Note: ICSolutions confirms that call filters and spam blockers frequently block these calls or route them to voicemail.

  1. Catch the number that’s coming in - The next time a call hits voicemail or shows as missed, look at the Caller ID number that displayed.
  2. Save it as a contact - Create a contact using that exact number and label it clearly (for example, with the facility name or your loved one’s name).
  3. Mark the contact as a favorite - ICSolutions specifically recommends adding the contact as a favorite, which can help your phone treat it as a trusted caller.
  4. Check your phone’s spam/unknown-call settings - If you have call filtering enabled, add this contact/number to any “allowed,” “safe,” or “whitelist” options so it rings through.

Tip: Save the facility number as a contact and mark it as a favorite. This tells your phone it's someone you know, which helps bypass spam filters.

Why Calls from Illinois DOC Facilities Go to Voicemail (And How to Fix It)

Accidentally blocked the facility number? ICSolutions Customer Service can help unblock it or troubleshoot the issue. Call 888.506.8407 or email Customer@icsolutions.com.

  • ✓ Write down the facility Caller ID number that showed up on your phone
  • ✓ Check your phone’s blocked numbers list and remove the number if it’s there
  • ✓ Review any spam/call-filtering settings that may be silencing unknown callers
  • ✓ If the issue continues, contact ICSolutions Customer Service at 888.506.8407 or Customer@icsolutions.com

Still missing calls after saving the number and checking your block list? Consider video visits as a backup while you troubleshoot. IDOC facilities (except ATCs) now use ICSolutions for video visitation instead of GTL, so you can stay connected while sorting out the phone issue.

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